This invention relates to a device for promoting good health. More specifically, the invention is embodied in a new and unique personal weight scale which provides health promoting messages based upon the user's weight and certain other input information which is entered into the scale.
It is recognized that an individual's weight has a major bearing on health. The predominant concern for most individuals is to guard against overweight, but underweight conditions can also be of concern. Personal weight scales provide a ready means for an individual to monitor one's own weight. Mere monitoring of one's own weight is however, in many cases, an insufficient motivation to encourage the individual toward proper weight maintenance.
Electronic types of personal weight scales have been developed and are on the market. Those on the market which are known to applicant merely comprise an electronic readout display of the individual's measured weight. A recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,873 proposes an electronic weight scale which has the capability for providing the individual's weight and an audible message based upon the measured weight and certain inputs.
The present invention is directed to a novel personal weight scale with the capability for providing visible message displays to the user based upon the user's measured weight and certain inputs. With the present invention, it is believed that improved motivation toward proper weight maintenance for an individual is obtainable, and this is accomplished in one respect through the nature of the display messages which are given.
In another respect the invention is adapted to address particular health problems for which proper weight maintenance is especially important. These adaptations endow the apparatus of the invention with a personalized character for a particular individual suffering from a particular health condition. These adaptations also provide message displays for the individual which are related to that individual's particular health problem.
Although one preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein, principles of the invention may be incorporated in different embodiments. The invention possesses new and unique features which contribute to the health promotive character of the apparatus embodying the invention.
For example, according to one aspect, the apparatus is provided with inputs which are set by the individual user based upon certain personal factors of that individual, for example, body size, sex, and age. Hence, the apparatus is rendered useful for any individual.
According to another aspect the apparatus may be customized for a particular individual or certain particular individuals. An especially convenient way to adapt the apparatus to a customized form is by providing the apparatus with the ability to accept customized data such as from a cassette, cartridge or tape containing certain customized data. The apparatus acts upon the customized data for a particular individual so that when that individual uses the apparatus, it displays certain informational and motivational messages which are uniquely adapted for that particular individual.
Importantly, according to this aspect of the invention, the apparatus may be tailored to address a particular health condition or health conditions of the individual with the objective that the displayed information and messages will encourage the individual into proper habits geared toward correction of the particular health problem or problems involved.
Still another aspect of the invention involves the manner in which the apparatus presents information to the user. This will be true regardless of whether the apparatus is customized for a particular individual or whether it has general utility for any person. This method of presentation involves the visual presentation on a message center of a first message display containing certain data. Subsequently, this message display is erased and replaced by a second display containing a message for the individual user. This latter message is intended to encourage the individual into a desired regimen by a reinforcement technique. Where the apparatus has general utility and is not customized for any particular individual, these messages are standardized messages. The particular one of the standardized messages which is given depends upon the departure of the actual measured weight from a standardized or normal average weight for an individual of the same body size, sex, and age. These messages may be either laudatory or critical with the exact nature of the message being dependent upon the departure of the measured weight from the standardized weight. In other words, the greater the departure from the standardized weight, the more critical the message will be. Where the measured weight is close to the desired weight, the message will be laudatory.
In a situation where the apparatus is adapted to a particular health condition for a particular individual, the message given will contain reference to either the health condition itself and/or factors related to that health condition. It is possible for a standard set of messages to be developed for each condition, or alternatively it is possible to have a particular set of messages prepared for a particular individual on a totally unique basis. These messages could be prepared by an attending physician who has intimate knowledge of the individual's particular condition and personality so as to achieve what would be considered to be the best type of motivational procedure for the individual. Because of the availability of readily programmable electronic devices it is possible for the physician to prescribe particular messages which can be readily incorporated into an appropriate medium such as a tape, cassette, cartridge, or similar device which may be removably plugged into the apparatus. It is however, also possible for a prescribing physician to prescribe a completely unique scale for a particular individual which would be constructed with only messages for that particular individual and for no other individual.
The preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises an electronic system, including a microprocessor and a visual readout display, which can be used to advantage to implement the invention. The microprocessor is provided with an operating program and is responsive to certain inputs and to the individual's measured weight. The microprocessor and associated electronic circuitry may comprise storage media containing pre-stored information including such items as weight charts, messages, and other pieces of information. The apparatus has a calculational capability within its operating program to provide calculations based upon the measured weight of the user and weight charts. It may act upon differences between measured weight and the weight charts to provide both a display of the computed difference and messages which are related to the difference. The weight chart and message are also correlated with certain input parameters relating to the individual. These parameters may be introduced by the user, or by other media.
Where the invention is adapted to address particular health problems, a variety of different health problems can be addressed through the use of removable electronic cartridges each of which is unique to a particular type of medical condition. Each cartridge comprises an electronic device such as a PROM (programmable read only memory) which is acted upon by the basic operating program of the microprocessor system. The data contained in the PROM relates to a particular medical condition and the resultant action of the apparatus when a particular type of PROM is associated with the apparatus is to adapt it for use by the individual with the condition which is the subject of the cartridge. Hence, in this embodiment, the basic scale apparatus remains the same and is converted to address a particular health condition by simply inserting the appropriate cartridge for the particular condition.
It is even possible for the cartridges to be tailored to particular individuals by the fabrication of custom electronic cartridges. Hence, the invention may be offered not only as a commercial product it is also well suited for prescriptive use by a physician treating a particular individual for a particular medical condition. The potential benefits for promoting health in individuals are significantly enhanced with the present invention.
The foregoing features, advantages and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.